Pennsylvania

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- A strong storm slammed some areas of Pennsylvania, damaging numerous businesses, many in a shopping plaza, overturning cars and downing trees and power lines. CBS Scranton affiliate WYOU-TV says the scene in the Wilkes-Barre business district resembled "a war zone," adding that debris littered the area. CBS Harrisburg affiliate WHP-TV said there were reports of people trapped in vehicles. The storm struck the Wilkes-Barre Township shopping plaza late Wednesday night. The area was under a tornado warning at the time. The National Weather Service said it would be in the township Thursday to survey the damage and determine whether it was a tornado that touched down. Teams will also be in Bradford County checking out the damage there, says WYOU. Emergency crews from across the region raced to the township, the station reports, adding that the American Red Cross was on-scene assisting first responders and others. Township police wrote on their Facebook page that there … [Read more...] about Possible tornado pounds parts of Pennsylvania

Authorities in Lancaster County are escalating their search for a missing teenager who they now believe may be in danger. The Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department provided an update this week on the case of 16-year-old Sierra Kulokoski, who went missing on May 11 and hasn't been seen since. Investigators said Kulokoski, of Penn Township, is believed to be in central Pennsylvania and is presumed to be in trouble of some kind. As part of the investigation, police have contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which will provide assistance and circulate a poster with vital information about the girl. Kulokoski is described as approximately 5'7'' and 142 pounds, with brown hair and and brown eyes. She was last seen in Manheim before disappearing late on a Friday afternoon. Anyone with information on Kulokoski's whereabouts is asked to contact 911, (800)-THE-LOST or the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department at … [Read more...] about Police: Missing Pennsylvania teen believed to be endangered

For the first time in more than a century, Pennsylvania has a woman as state forester. The Bureau of Forestry announced Monday that Ellen M. Shultzabarger has been chosen to lead the state agency. She is the first female to hold the position in the department's 125-year history. As state forester, Shultzabarger is tasked with overseeing Pennsylvania's 2.2 million acres of state forestland, as well as conserving native wild plants and other natural resources. Shultzabarger, 41, of Lancaster, has worked for the bureau for 14 years in various positions. She most recently served as Chief of Conservation Science and Ecological Resources, and has led a number of projects at the bureau during her tenure, including oil and gas management and handling invasive species. "I will strive to connect people to the outdoors, manage the state forests entrusted to us, and increase awareness of the importance and benefits of trees and forests," Shultzabarger said in a news release. Female representation … [Read more...] about For first time in 125 years, woman appointed Pennsylvania’s state forester

A northeastern Pennsylvania woman who allegedly pulled a knife at a CVS drug store late last week is offering a strange explanation for the threatening display. It was all a "social experiment," according to Rosario Helyn DeAngelo, the 33-year-old woman who allegedly flashed a black-bladed knife at a CVS location in Pittston, Luzerne County.The incident occurred last Thursday morning after a store employee said she saw DeAngelo shoplift a battery charger, according to The Citizens Voice. When the employee followed DeAngelo out of the store, she reportedly noticed the knife in her hand and felt threatened. DeAngelo returned the charger, but the employee called police to report that DeAngelo had allegedly brandished the knife. At the scene, police ordered DeAngelo to drop the knife to the ground. That's when she allegedly told authorities she had been conducting a "social experiment that went horribly awry." The point, she explained, was "to see what people in Pittston are paying … [Read more...] about Pennsylvania woman claims pulling knife at CVS was ‘social experiment’